RSPCA warns against buying South Korean 'teacup' puppies sold on Facebook

The RSPCA has warned British dog buyers about purchasing dogs from fashionable 'teacup' puppy services, after being made aware by The Telegraph that US companies are working with South Korean breeders to sell the tiny dogs over Facebook.

These puppies are immensely popular online, with some 'boutiques' garnering over 75,000 likes on Facebook.

Teacup puppy pages advertise the animals as being significantly smaller than their breed's usual weight, reaching an average of between two and five pounds when fully grown.

However, the RSPCA has warned that dogs intensively bred to be small can result in health problems, and that potential owners should avoid buying from any establishment where the breeder or the environment the puppies were raised in are unknown.

The dogs are advertised and sold over FacebookCredit:
Facebook

An RSPCA spokesperson said: "We always encourage people thinking of getting a dog to first consider adopting one from one of the many rescue organisations working in England and Wales. There are so many wonderful dogs patiently waiting for their home in kennels and foster homes.

"We do understand that sometimes, for whatever reason, people want to buy a puppy from a breeder. It's very important when searching for a breeder and a puppy to do lots of research and take time over choosing the right dog for your family and circumstances.

"We also advise prospective buyers to see the puppy with its mother, ask lots of questions, check paperwork and documentation, and to visit more than once. This is practically impossible to do if buying a puppy abroad or over the internet so, for that reason, we would advise buyers to be very careful.

The RSPCA also warned they would have concerns about the health of these dogs from a breeding point of view.

Dogs intensively bred to be very small can suffer from a range of health issues, which includes fine bones making them vulnerable to fractures, dislocation and respiratory problems.

This puppy was sent all the way to SpainCredit:
Facebook

The puppies usually cost somewhere in the region of $5,000-$6,000 (£3,7778-£4,533). This is far more than the average pedigree puppy, which – depending on breed – is usually sold at between £500 and £600.

One such organisation, which sells puppies over Facebook, boasts of the tiny sizes of its puppies, and has tens of thousands of fans who 'like' its page.

Boutique Teacup Puppies ships the dogs around the world and there is evidence on their Facebook page of the dogs travelling from South Korea to as far as Spain.

On its Facebook page, a French Bulldog is advertised with a guarantee of a fully grown weight of under eight pounds. French Bulldog breeding standards say a fully grown adult should weight between 19 and 28 pounds.

The South Korean government is currently planning to "remove red tape" from its puppy mill industry.

Animal activists were critical of President Park Geun-hye, who said at the 10th official trade and investment meeting in July that stripping red tape will encourage investment and grow the pet industry more than three times by 2020.

The plan means the government will provide financial incentives to those who open new puppy mills.